updated 10:00 am EDT, Wed June 16, 2010

San Fran stores must show phone radiation data

San Francisco late Tuesday passed its proposed cellphone radiation law in a move that could impact how the devices are sold in the city. Under the new rules, stores will be required to show the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of radiation next to phones they sell with a clearly readable 11-point or larger font. The rules are cast not as an attempt to discourage phone use but to help those who were already looking for SAR levels as a factor.

"We think that for the consumer for whom this is an area of concern, it ought to be easier to find," Mayor Gavin Newsom's spokesman Tony Winnicker said.

Wireless carriers have objected to the rules as they want to persuade users that cellphones have no adverse long-term health effects. They also believe that the levels give the false impression that choosing a phone with a lower radiation level automatically guarantees a safer device.

Earlier this year, the final version of the Interphone study was released and didn't provide conclusive answers as to the effect of sustained cellphone use. Critics, however, have said the study was selective in its results and didn't include those who may have been the worst affected by any possible cancers or other illnesses. [viaNYT]

Who Really Cares

increase lawsuits?

Now will this open up the carriers and manufacturers to more lawsuits? The industry has a point. People are not that bright and will say this phone is safer because it has a lower radiation level. If they get a cancer that might be caused by the phone, they can say it was "safe" due to the labeling. You know some lawyer will use this. And how will the class action industry use this new information?

Not saying I agree or disagree with the law, just looking to the future.

not worthwhile

Cnet had a feature a while back, the best and worst radiating phones, and they all were within a few tenths of whatever the unit is, IOW, basically equal. It's already covered under Federal regulation. If this is something you're wringing your hands over, best not to use a phone at all.

Furniture Redux

When I was a kid and noticed that some furniture or mattresses carried warnings that a product was known to have flammability issues in CA, I would think to myself, "There's got to be something wrong with the people there if they're known to regularly catch this on fire."

I'd say the same reasoning applies here, since there is absolutely no verifiable or plausible proof for the argument that the cell phones cause cancer. "There must be something wrong with the people in SF if they have brain issues just from making calls on their cell phones."

There *have* been Serious studies done on this

The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority Of Finland did a study of people that had used cell phones daily for 10 years or more.

The results of their data: These people were found to be *39% more likely* to develop a glioma (brain tumor). You know where the glioma was located? Right on the side of the head they held their cell phones up to most of the time.

Watch this well done video on the subject:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y6M67b_G6I

I say, put the radiation levels on the box and let people make a decision for themselves. I believe this should be and will be a U.S. law in the future. No, it's not big government, it's just about disclosure of important information about your phone. Like ingredients on the food you buy. Not too long ago there were congressional hearings with the major cigarette companies and they continued to deny there was no link between smoking and cancer. It was quite unbelievable to hear them blatantly say that. Everyone knows smoking leads to lung and other forms of cancer; yet they still continued to deny it (and most likely spend millions of dollars lobbying as well).

Anyway, watch the video and make up YOUR OWN mind - even if you disagree.